When to judge

Many professing Christians are not willing to do something due to fear that may boomerang on them. They tried to avoid correcting, rebuking and even judging wrong doers of the Word. We maybe in the scrutiny of the beholder, but then again they may observe and judge only according to their senses without considering the basis of that judgment, some may judge us wrongfully without going into detail of our action and decision, and worst is extending it publicly and hurt someone and becomes a threat to divide the Body of Christ.

Judging someone’s belief, correcting their wrong action and decisions are some of the many things that we tried to avoid, in fear of being judged also? This action will give freedom to false practice of faith and hope and give the wrong doers of the words a free ride and continue to deceive more people and put the Word of God in vain as well as jeopardizing the soul of people who submitted to false teachings due to ignorance and lack of knowledge of the true gospel. Misinterpretation stated in Matthew 7:1-2 will cause us to fall victim.

Matthew 7:1-2 (WEB)

“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.” Jesus said that when you judge it should not be hypocritical. Do not pretend to have more virtues, greater religious beliefs, and more divine principles and morally correct. When we continue reading the context in Mathew 7 up to verse 5 we will find the completeness of what Jesus is telling us. We need to open our eyes on what the bible really mentioned about judging for fear that they would be considered judgmental of brothers.

In the epistle of Paul to the Corinthians recorded in1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (PHI) “Don’t mix with the immoral.” I didn’t mean, of course, that you were to have no contact at all with the immoral of this world, nor with any cheats or thieves or idolaters—for that would mean going out of the world altogether! But in this letter I tell you not to associate with any professing Christian who is known to be an impure man or a swindler, an idolater, a man with a foul tongue, a drunkard or a thief. My instruction is: “Don’t even eat with such a man.” Those outside the church it is not my business to judge. But surely it is your business to judge those who are inside the church—God alone can judge those who are outside. It is your plain duty to ‘put away from yourselves that wicked person.”

Other Bible verses Christians are supposed to use their judgment in accordance to the Scripture, but within the limit of the church. In John’s epistles it advises us to correct, rebuke and exhort believers. Throughout the Bible many Scriptures tell us that it should be a justified action, direct one’s mind towards truth, to be on the lookout: in testing and proving all divine truth is from God and only allow Spiritual man to judge all things according to the Word of God.

There is a requirement in judging others; we need to clean our own backyard first before attempting to help others cleaning theirs. We cannot just point out how wrong they were in their walk in Christian living without looking our relationship with fellow Christians its value and influence among others. How we change their life after finding the truth of Word of God and return to God with joy. In Romans 2:1-6 is commonly misinterpreted as a command not to judge anything, when in fact that is not what is being said at all.

Roman 2:1-6 says; (WEB)

“Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:”[a]

Righteous judgments or judging in line of the Scriptures is the right thing to do and not judging a person because you do not like the behavior, just want to get even from previous misunderstandings, or because of the powerful emotions the judgments even went further like person’s destination is going nowhere but hell. Those acts are definitely a false judgment. Romans 2:1-6 supported the believers to judge rightly according to the Word of God and needless to say the righteous way.

Our responsibility to test and prove someone's teachings and properly judge their doctrine to make sure that it is Scripturally supported;1Corinthians 4:5 “stated and must not be misinterpreted as less authoritative and avoid proper judgment: “What it was saying was to be careful in hasty and pre-mature judgment.”

“Don’t criticize people, and you will not be criticized. For you will be judged by the way you criticize others, and the measure you give will be the measure you receive.”